The Old Town Hall and Old Town Office renovations are now complete. A special thanks to all that helped reach this milestone for both the Historical Society and the Town of Mansfield.
By the end of July, the Old Town Hall saw extensive sheathing repairs in preparation for the addition of blown-in insulation and clapboard siding replacement. As the project moved into August, the new clapboard siding was installed, and exterior painting of both buildings began. The ceiling and plaster walls inside the Old Town Hall were also repaired, prepped, and painted. This work was completed in October. August also saw the demolition and reconstruction of the chimney located at the back of the building. Repairs to the existing chimney were so extensive that a complete rebuild was more efficient and cost-effective.
Meanwhile, over at the stone building, the flat roof on the 1957 addition was rebuilt. Inside, the rough plumbing and electrical wiring were installed in the new accessible restroom, and sheetrock work began. Then came tiling, painting, and finally the installation of fixtures and the door. The restroom was finally completed in November. Spray foam insulation was also added to the attic which will improve energy efficiency and create a more suitable space for storing the museum’s artifacts.
While this work proceeded, the area behind the stone building and the space between the two buildings was backfilled. This enabled work to begin on the new accessible door into the rear of the stone building. Breaking through the thick stone wall to create the opening was an especially difficult task.
Unfortunately, for the next few months, the newly created opening, along with the doorway at the rear of the Old Town Hall, had to remain covered with plywood. The new accessible doors were being custom-built and were long delayed.
The door for the stone building finally arrived in mid-November. Its installation was complicated and took longer than expected. The other door didn’t come until the first week in January.
During the long wait for the doors, other projects were finished up and cleanup began. New gutters were also installed on both buildings. These now feed directly into the new drainage system and direct any runoff from the roofs away from the buildings to the storm drain on Route 195.
Any remaining interior work will be completed by the Town and the Historical Society. Once the weather warms next spring, the ADA ramp and sidewalk on the rear of the two buildings will be completed. In addition, the driveway and a portion of the parking lot will be paved. Public works will also reseed the front lawn and along the north side of the Old Town Hall. Cold weather arrived too early last fall and the seeding done then failed to successfully grow.
Construction photos gallery and slideshow.
Click on the first photo to begin the slide show of construction photos below. Slide show controls are in the top right of screen.
July 16. Old Town Hall. Back of the building siding and trimp repair work continues. Sarazin Contracting July 16. Old Town Hall. Front of the buiding siding and trimp repair work continues. Sarazin Contracting August 10. Old Town Hall. Basement entrance modified for new bulkhead installation.August 10. Old Town Hall. Back of the building with its weather barrier awaits new chimney construction before siding can begin.August 10. Old Town Hall. Front entrance with its weather barrier applied. Ready for new clapboard siding to be installed.August 19. Old Town Hall. Basement pre-cast bulkhead installed and awaiting regrading.August 19. Re-siding of the Old Town Hall about to start. New clapboard siding can be seen in the foreground.August 23. Old Town Hall. Northside, new clapboard siding being installed. Sarazin ContactingAugust 30. Old Town Hall. New chimney under construction. Guerrieri MasonryAugust 30. Old Town Office. Insulating spray foam installed in the attic, our main collection storage area. August 30. Old Town Office. Spray insulation installed.August 30. Old Town Hall. Front of the hall with new clapboards installed. Sarazin ContractingOctober 1. Old Town Office. Rough framing and cement board being installed in the new ADA compliant bathroom.October 1. Old Town Office. Rough framing and plumbing being installed in the new ADA compliant bathroom.October 1. Old Town Office, front. Exterior work complete, new windows, repaired trim, and freshly painted.October 6. Old Town Office. Detail of the repaired masonry work on the original stone chimney. Guerrieri MasonryOctober 6. Old Town Office. Detail of the facade and pediment. Tallis RestorationOctober 6. Old Town Office. Cuploa and attic dormer repairs completed and freshly painted. Tallis RestorationOctober 6. Old Town Office. Completed restoration of the building front entrance.October 6. Old Town Hall. Back of the hall with newly built chimney, completed siding, trim, and freshley painted.October 19. Old Town Office. The beginings of the new handicap accessable entrance.October 19. Old Town Office. The new ADA compliant bathroom under construction.October 19. Old Town Office. The new ADA compliant bathroom under moving toward completion.October 19. Old Town Office. The new ADA compliant bathroom under moving toward completion.October 16. Re-installation of stepping stones and the addition of new top soil and reseeded lawn area. Earth DynamicsOctober 16. Old Town Hall. North side of the building after landscape regrading. Earth DynamicsJanuary 15. The newly completed ADA-compliant bathroom in the Old Town Office.January 10. Newly completed ADA-compliant, automatically opening door that will become the museum’s new main entrance.January 19. Renovations of both Town Hall buildings complete and looking proud.January 24. Entrance to the museum office with new overhead roof.January 24. Left is the new ADA compliant entrance and finished hatchway to the basement of the Old Town Hall. Completion of the new entrance and parking lot is planned for spring 2026.January 24. Rear of the Old Town Hall with the addition of a new door, new entrance roof, and additional security lighting for the parking lot. Handicap ramps and hand rails will be completed spring 2026.
